Category: Solar Power

More and more frequently, people are looking for a way to power their homes and businesses without having such a strong impact on the environment. For years, services have used and perhaps even abused the earth in an effort to provide electricity for their customers. That electricity was generated with coal, oil and other types of nonrenewable resources but today, people are looking for renewable forms of energy. There are a number of options available and we will consider a few.

Before we talk about the types of renewable energy, it’s important to consider the benefits of using them on a regular basis. In most cases, these types of services can be set up rather conveniently and the return on investment from the installation is going to be relatively quick. One of the benefits of using renewable energy is the fact that it continues to work on an ongoing basis and once it is put in motion, it requires very little maintenance. Regardless of the type of renewable energy service that is being considered, this will be true.

The following 3 types of renewable energy are being used today. In fact, the technology that is associated with these types of energy is growing and as it does so, the use is growing as well. They provide the ability to power our homes and businesses without having a severe impact on the earth.

Solar Power – Although there may be many different forms of renewable energy, one of the most convenient and most powerful is the energy that comes from the sun. When it is able to be harnessed properly, it could easily be converted into usable energy and the possibilities are truly endless. Here is a basic understanding of how it works.

Solar power gathers energy from the sun. The sun is putting out energy on a constant basis and even though only a very small part of that energy reaches the earth, it is thought to be enough to provide for our needs many times over. The power from the sun is collected by something that is known as a photovoltaic cell. That cell has the ability to take the energy from sunlight and convert it into usable electricity.

A single photovoltaic cell is able to produce a very small amount of energy but those cells are often put together in panels and together, they can gather a lot of energy for our use. In fact, there are times when these panels are even put out in farms that may span many acres. The energy that they produce can then be channeled into the grid and ultimately, into our homes and businesses.

Wind Power – The wind is another form of usable energy and in essence, it is also a form of solar power. After all, the sun heats the earth and as the earth is spinning, the uneven heating is what causes the wind and weather patterns.

A wind turbine will typically either have 2 or 3 blades and as the wind blows, the blades will turn. The blades turn a shaft that ultimately, goes into a generator and the generator produces usable electricity. In its most basic sense, the wind turbine uses the wind to create mechanical energy and then the mechanical energy is converted into electricity.

Hydroelectric Power – This type of power uses the movement of water, regardless of whether it is a river or the tides in the ocean. It does so in a similar way to wind power, in that the water movement turns a shaft that causes a generator to create electricity. This type of renewable energy is already in use and it can be seen in dams around the world. Additional resources are being considered for using the tidal forces, and it may just produce enough electricity to power our needs for many years to come.

These 3 types of renewable resources are not only a possibility, they are already a reality as they are already being used. Around the world, renewable electricity is being produced more and more frequently and as it is produced, it is replacing the type of electricity that abused the earth through nonrenewable resources.

If there is one thing that is true across the board for most people around the world, it’s the fact that they need energy in order to go about their day-to-day lives. From turning on the bathroom lights in the morning all the way to cooking food, electricity has become an important part of the mix. The problem is, much of the world’s electricity is produced using nonrenewable resources, such as coal or oil. This can really put a strain on the environment but there are some places, such as Robben Island, that are making a difference.

There are many different types of alternative energy sources and some of them use renewable resources in order to power and generate the energy. A good example of this is solar power, and the use of solar cells is able to collect the power from the light of the sun and generate electricity that can be used in homes and businesses. This is often seen on a smaller scale but at times, it can even be used on a larger scale as well. That is what they did on Robben Island, and it has really made a difference in the way that they use the environment around them.

Many governments have put laws into to place that stipulate a certain amount of power must be generated by renewable resources, such as solar, wind or hydroelectric power. What took place on the island, however, goes far beyond the small percentage that is often seen in these laws. It is thought that the diesel usage on an annual basis is going to drop by almost half an the use of diesel generators is going to drop by an amazing 45%. This project is going to save a considerable amount of money but it will also save the environment in some rather unique ways.

The way that the power is being generated is by means of a solar power microsystem utilizing a photovoltaic farm. On that farm, a number of PV arrays are put in place and all through the day, they collect the light of the sun and continually generate usable electricity from it. Of course, there is also power that is needed during the night and at times, the sun may not be shining during the day but the system is able to overcome this problem in a way that really shows us the possibilities for using solar to power the world’s energy needs.

Along with the PV farm, there is also a battery storage facility that uses lithium-ion batteries and a series of controllers to harness the energy from the sun and to store it in case it is needed for use during the nighttime and for days when it may be cloudy and the available sunlight is reduced. Since it is fully put into place, it is possible for Robben island to operate fully on solar power nine months of the year, which really shows the possibilities for what can take place in other parts of the world.

In some cases, the use of these PV arrays is put into practice on a farm that is used for a variety of other purposes, such as maintaining the local wildlife or perhaps allowing for grazing of local herds. The farm on Robben Island is not used for other reasons as the majority of it is filled with the PV arrays and for the facility using battery storage.

This solar power microsystem really shows how important it is to continue to develop the ability to harness the natural resources around us and use them for our own needs. By using solar power and other renewable resources, it is possible to provide enough power for the majority of our use and to do so without causing any irreparable harm to the Earth.

Random Quote

Electrical science has revealed to us the true nature of light, has provided us with innumerable appliances and instruments of precision, and has thereby vastly added to the exactness of our knowledge.